R.I.P. !

I thought it particularly important to mark this date. This is the day Cangro marked for closure of it's Ontario Fruit and vegetable processing plants. This has weighed heavy on my mind for weeks since I first heard about it. Today this article showed up in Sun Media.

Cheaper imports threaten the 752,000 people employed by Ontario's agriculture and food processing sector.

Fruitless labour
Hank Daniszewski Sun Media
March 13, 2008


The slogan is Good Things Grow in Ontario. But finding those good Ontario-grown products in your supermarket is getting tougher.

The rising value of the Canadian dollar means food manufacturers are finding it easier to go global when they buy and process products. It's a trend that threatens the 752,000 people in Ontario's agriculture and food processing sector, the second-largest employer in the province. ( see complete article...)

This is our last peach and pear processor. It is about time somebody in the media tried to let the public know just what is going on out there.

As a consumer looking for Ontario processed foods it does not matter to me why they were leaving. I was SURE the 'why' is all about the money. It usually is. According to the article the Canadian owned processor was purchased 2 years ago by an American company. It is obvious, now, why they are leaving.

With a huge increase in the 'Grow Ontario" advertising budget, Ontarians are going to be even more aware of those products that are NOT from home. Since this is such a compelling issue for many consumers and growing daily, one has to wonder why the food processors left in this province fail to take advantage of all that free advertising to promote their products!!!!!!

I wonder if NAFTA and free trade rules will impact our ability to label food sourced in this country? Maybe we better work on keeping our processors before we have to sort that one out.

It looks like is going to be a long summer .